Julia Nagy Grandmother Namesake

My grandmother Julia Nagy is my superhero! Thinking about the 'superheroes' in my life, the very first person that comes to mind is my grandmother Julia Nagy! First of all, my grandmother was my namesake -- I was named in honor of my grandmother! Get it?

You know, Julie and Julia? See that picture? It's Jaguar Julie and Julia Nagy. And, I can't think of a day that goes by that I do NOT think of my grandmother for all the drive and determination that she instilled in me.

My grandmother was my inspiration for all that I strive to achieve today. She has inspired me to be a better person and a better writer as well.

My grandmother shared her love for traditional Hungarian and Slovak cooking with us. Because of her, I have a passionate love for Hungarian stuffed cabbage rolls, hungarian goulash, hungarian spaetzle, polish pierogi, butter horns, nut roll, poppy seed roll, kifli, langos, strudel, apple pie, crepes suzette and oh so many other traditional Hungarian goodies! In a way, my grandmother inspired me to be a writer; to preserve the Hungarian and Slovak tradition(s) of our family.

Thank you grandma Julia Nagy! And, thank you grandma for having MOM! xoxoxo

P.S. When my article first existed as a Squidoo lens, it was featured as lens of the day on my birthday in 2008. For that LOTD, this page earned $500 for my favorite charity! And, on April 16, 2009, my other Squidoo lens [at the time], Stuffed Cabbage, dedicated to my grandma Julia Nagy, was honored by earning a purple star. It's that special award for former Squidoo Giant Squids with a lens of quality content. On April 19, 2009, that lens made it into the #1 spot overall on Squidoo and spent 24 days in the #1 spot.

Photo Credit: Jaguar Julie and Grandma Julia Nagy. JaguarJulie Photo Archives.

Is YOUR grandmother YOUR superhero too?
My grandmother was a superhero even though ... 

1. she NEVER let her hair down OR got her hair done!
2. she NEVER wore a pair of pants BUT did wear a girdle!
3. she NEVER got her nails done OR wore nail polish!
4. she NEVER used a FOUR-letter BAD word! 

My Grandmother Julia Nagy -- My Inspiration Namesake and Superhero!

My grandmother, Julia Nagy, was a true inspiration, my inspiration -- she was working by the age of 10 to help support her mother and family.

She married in 1928 and had her first child, my mother, at the very start of the Great Depression in 1929. Her second child, my Uncle Bob, was born in 1931.

She survived the Great Depression and continued to work for 50 years at the West Side Market in Cleveland, Ohio. Yet, she made time for all of us 'kids' who clammered to have our special week with her in the summer where we could do anything we wanted.

I opted to help her cook and bake and ride the rapid transit downtown Cleveland to visit Higbee's and Mill's Restaurant. The times and memories I spent with my grandmother are the most precious that I wish ...

She was such an important part of my life that if I had one wish, and only one wish, it would be that my grandmother was still alive today so that I could spend some more meaningful time with her.

I'd also wish that my grandfather was alive and well today! You see, I have SO many questions I'd like to ask him.

History: It is an honor indeed to have my Superhero tribute lens, in memory of my dear grandmother and namesake, Julia Nagy, featured as Lens of the Day on July 9, 2008. Today is also my birthday and a day that I reflect on all that my grandmother meant to me.

What do YOU call your Grandmother?
My Grandmother was simply or NOT so simply: Grandma!

What is a grandmother? Synonyms: baba, gammy, gram, gramma, gran, grandma, grandmom, granny, mamaw, meemaw, mimi, nan, nanna, nanny.

A Bit of History! 
My Grandmother's Mother was a Varchola.

My great grandmother, Anna Varchola, was born, as a guestimate, in 1870 in Czechoslovakia. She married Mihaly Kovacs [later Michael Kovach], who was born August 4, 1864 in Czechoslovakia. Anna Kovach had 11 children although 8 died from childhood diseases such as TB.

A Strong Work Ethic!
My Grandmother Worked for 50 Years at the Westside Market in Cleveland, Ohio!

My grandmother road the Rapid Transit to the West Side Market where she worked for 50 years. Her drive and strong work ethic so impressed me ... she was indeed like a real-life superhero! Ah, the wonderful meats and cheeses she brought home.

In Loving Memory of My Grandmother
Who left us on April 28, 1978

History: Julia Nagy : My Grandmother, Namesake and Superhero was originally created on Squidoo by JaguarJulie on June 12, 2008. Highest lensrank ever achieved: #7 overall. This was a top lens with 27 days on the Top 100 list. Lens #370 in the quest for Giant Squid 400 Club.

Kovacs aka Kovach

Kovacs aka Kovach : Hungarian or Czechoslovakian? Kovacs aka Kovach : The Debate Continues: Czechoslovakian or Hungarian? For some time, I have been researching my great grandparents with the Kovach name. I am relying on information from my maternal grandmother Julia Kovach Nagy, who is now deceased, and from my mother.

Kovacsland: Biography Of Ernie Kovacs

As a child, I remember my grandmother telling me that her ethnic heritage was Czechoslovakian. I remember my mother telling me that my grandmother actually could speak 4 different languages, of which Hungarian was definitely one.

I would guess that the other languages would be Czech and Slovakian, but I am not sure. It would suggest that my grandmother's heritage was not just Hungarian. Every Sunday she would listen to a radio program that I think was Hungarian.

So does that make the ancestry of Kovacs aka Kovach Hungarian or Czechoslovakian or something else? Are YOU a Kovach or Kovacs? Oh, I would surely love to hear from you!

Image Credit: Kovacsland: Biography Of Ernie Kovacs.

The Kovacs / Kovach Poll
Please answer our question about Kovacs / Kovach. Are you familiar with the Kovacs / Kovach names?

1. Yes indeed ... know about Kovacs and Kovach!
2. Absolutely, I trace my heritage from Kovacs and Kovach too!
3. I had heard about Ernie Kovacs!
4. It sounds familiar.
5. More than one of the above!

Great Grandfather Mihaly Kovacs

My great grandfather, Mihaly Kovacs, was born August 4, 1864 in a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire that would later be known as Czechoslovakia. His name was "Americanized" to Michael Kovach, I assume when he came to the United States.

He married Anna Varchola who was born, as a guestimate, in 1870 in a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire that would later be known as Czechoslovakia. It is not known of Mihaly and Anna were from the same town, but it would be rather likely that they did not live too far from each other. Mihaly Kovacs / Michael Kovach died on November 22, 1908 in Pennsylvania.

For my generation, Ernie Kovacs, is definitely the most recognizable person with the last name of Kovacs. Who knows, he may be part of my ancestral family tree!

Anyone who has done much research into their family ancestry, if from Eastern Europe, will know that it can be quite challenging! Names and spellings can be quite varied as often pronunciations often dictated the American spelling; and then, many names were "Americanized" or made more mainstream.

What's interesting about the names in my family's ancestry, is that like Kovach aka Kovacs, some of the names are considered "common" or used extensively.

History of Hungary

• During the revolutions of 1848, Magyar leaders of Hungary and Czech leaders from Bohemia had asserted their independence from Austrian rule. The Magyar leader LAJOS KOSSUTH helped establish a parliamentary democracy with the passage of the March Laws of 1848.
• Austrian military forces crushed the Czech revolt, but Kossuth's HOME DEFENSE ARMY held firm. Soon afterwards Kossuth was elected president of the new Hungarian republic. But Austrian forces, with the help of 100,000 Russian troops, reasserted control over the defiant Magyars. Kossuth fled to exile in Turkey.
• In 1867, after ruling Hungary for 150 years, Austrians offered the Maygars the promise of equal power. With the passage of the Settlement of 1867, known in Germany as the AUSGLEICH, the Austrian Empire became the AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN EMPIRE, a dual monarchy.
• In a dramatic ceremony in Budapest, the capital city of Hungary, the Austrian Habsburg ruler FRANZ JOSEF received the crown of St. Stephen, Hungary's first king. Franz Josef was desperately trying to keep the crumbling empire intact.
• The HABSBURG EMPIRE was now divided into two main territories: the AUSTRIAN EMPIRE and the KINGDOM OF HUNGARY. Both were ruled by the Habsburg monarch, who was centered in Vienna. Austria remained governed by the FEBRUARY PATENT OF 1861, which established a parliament known as the Reichsrat. The March Laws of 1848 governed Hungary.
• Although Austria and Hungary each had a parliament to manage their domestic affairs and those of their respective provinces, a joint cabinet controlled mostly by Austrian and Hungarian aristocrats handled foreign affairs, military affairs, and finances. And though in principle the new empire was a constitutional monarchy, the emperor retained considerable powers, especially that of dissolving the parliaments by fiat.
• The SETTLEMENT OF 1867 (also known as the Compromise of 1867) provided Habsburg rulers with a more stable empire in the short run by securing strength through numbers. The empire retained its place as a great power in Europe. But the heterogeneous nature of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, increasingly anachronistic in an age of nationalism, guaranteed its failure.
• The Magyar aristocracy aggressively pursued a policy of Magyarization, or forcing minority groups such as Croats and Serbs to assimilate into Hungarian society by adopting its language and customs.
• Hungary also sought to further its independence from Austria, provoking EMPEROR FRANZ JOSEF I to suspend the Hungarian constitution in 1903.
• This repression fueled the growth of pan-Slavic terrorist groups such as the Black Hand, which was responsible for the assassination of Austrian ARCHDUKE FRANCIS FERDINAND in 1914, an event that helped trigger World War I.

Ernie Kovacs Related?

A distant relative? Ernie Kovacs (January 23, 1919 - January 13, 1962) was a creative and innovative entertainer from the early days of television. His on-air antics would go on to inspire TV shows like Laugh-In, the Uncle Floyd Show, Saturday Night Live and TV hosts like David Letterman.

Kovacs is buried in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles. His epitaph reads "Nothing in moderation - We all loved him".

For an interesting biography, please read the rest of the story. Wikipedia.

Kovacs Named People

• Ernie Kovacs - What an interesting man! He was a creative and innovative entertainer from the early days of television.
• Stefan Kovacs - A former soccer manager who was the manager of France.
• Frank Kovacs - An American tennis player in the 1940s; he was known as the "Clown Prince of Tennis."
• Laszlo Kovacs - Born July 3, 1939 in Budapest, is a Hungarian politician and diplomat, currently serving as European Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union.
• Michal Kovac - Born August 5, 1930, he was a Slovak politician in the early 1990s (member of the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia) and the first president of Slovakia.
• Agnes Kovacs - Born July 13, 1981, she is a Hungarian swimmer.
• Magda Kosane Kovacs - Born November 4, 1940 in Budapest, is a Hungarian politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Hungarian Socialist Party, part of the Party of European Socialists.
• Kovacs Genealogy - Kovacs Family Genealogy Forum.
• Kovacs according to Wikipedia - What a cool list of lots of Kovacs!
• Searches for information on the Kovac / Kovacs family name.
• Kovacs listed in the Industry and trade directory of Hungary in 1891 database.

Kovach Named People

• Michael Kovach - Does Your Front End Know What Your Back End is Doing? by Michael Kovach, VP Software Development and Technology. FullTilt Solutions. Published on iSource Online.
• Kovach Cemetary List - Hungarian/Albany Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Livingston, LA. Submitted by Don Johnson to the LAGenWeb Archives.
• Michael Kovach - WTC List - On the World Trade Center public list, Michael Kovach was listed as fine, #4186 Wed Sep 12 13:57:46 2001.
• Kovach Obituaries - ObitFinder, the national resource for obituaries.
• Searches for information on Kovach family name.

Anna Kovach Daughters

• Anna Kovach - Born October 1900 in Pennsylvania. Left home in 1918. Married Andrew Jason and had 2 sons, Frankie and William, and 2 daughters. Last known address: 1844 West 54th Street, Cleveland, Ohio.
• Julia Kovach - Born October 1, 1905 in Eleanora, Pennsylvania. Father: Michael Kovach. Married Alexander J. Nagy on October 2, 1928 in St. Mary's Church. Had two children, Lillian and Robert John [born May 12, 1931]. She died on April 28, 1978 and is buried in Holy Cross Cemetary in Cleveland, Ohio. Section 11, Lot 4640, Grave 1.
• Margaret T. Yaniga - Born October 3, 1913 [her birthday had been thought to be October 13th] in Eleanora, Pennsylvania. Father: Joseph Yaniga. Married William P. Taylor who died in 1974. She had 3 children: David, Cindy, and Karen. She died on July 27, 2007 and is buried on Woodlawn Cemetary in Wadsworth, Ohio.

Kovacs Cemetery Listings
Incredible Site to Visit - A select listing of Kovacs from the Cemeteries of Slovakia.

Anna 0 yrs. - June 22, 1916
Anna 0 yrs. - September 16, 1890
Anna 20 yrs. - May 24, 1903
Anna 33 yrs. - September 4, 1916
Bala 1 yrs. - October 2, 1897
Gusztav 1 yrs. - October 12, 1894
Gyula 0 yrs. - May 1, 1893
Julia 22 yrs. - November 6, 1904
Julia 0 yrs. - January 7, 1897
Julia 0 yrs. - September 14, 1895
Julia 1 yrs. - January 3, 1920
Margit 0 yrs. - September 20, 1895
Mihaly 0 yrs. - August 10, 1892
Mihaly 1 yrs. - November 12, 1890
Mihaly 2 yrs. - June 29, 1900
Mihaly 12 yrs. - September 6, 1897
Mihaly 22 yrs. - May 10, 1941
Mihaly 30 yrs. - February 22, 1890
Mihaly 42 yrs. - December 29, 1943
Mihaly 0 yrs. - October 9, 1914
Mihaly 0 yrs. - November 7, 1914
Mihaly 0 yrs. - October 30, 1916

Kovacs / Kovach Cemetery Listings
Below is an extraction of listings from Saint Mary Cemetery in Hermitage, Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Contributed by Terence Whalen [twhalen@svol.net].

Kovach, Anna, b. 1889, d. nd
Kovach, James, b. 1887, d. 1964
Kovach, Joseph E., b. 1914, d. 1969
Kovacs, John F., b. 1911, d. 1941
Kovacs, Joseph J., b. 1913, d. 1973
Kovacs, Rena L., b. 1918, d. nd
Kovacs, Steven L., b. 1915, d. 1945

Slovakia Gravestone Project

The aim of this project, which has been managed by the SGHS since 1991, is to collect gravestone inscriptions from all of the cemeteries from the territory of Slovakia, create a computer database from these data and this way make them more accessible to researchers.

Those, who take part in the project, are volunteers. Thanks to more than 30 volunteers the SGHS was able to collect transcripts from following, more than 70 cemeteries.

The Research Continues!

After the research I've done into the Kovach / Kovacs name, it is apparent that it is a challenge indeed to trace the family lineage for people bearing the name of Kovach aka Kovacs. One has to ask, why is this such a "common" surname shared by so many throughout the same generations in history?

I've found an interesting forum, My Czech Republic, that I've become active in. In a reply post there, Sova said, "Kovacs is a pretty common name (like "Smith" in English)."

Another poster, Zeisig, said pretty much the same thing, "Mihaly Kovacs is a common Hungarian name (kovacs means blacksmith)."

And so the search continues ...

• I am searching for information on a Michael Hrabcak, born October 1854 in Lucina. His parents were Michael/George? Hrabcak and Anna? (possibly Vasco). Michael Hrabcak married Anna Kovach (date unknown) who was born in July 1864 in Sdoba. They came to the U.S. about 1887 and settled in Carbondale, Lackawana, Pennsylvania and then later traveled to Colorado.
• We are interested in the family name Kovach but don't have any location except Eastern Slovakia, near Ukraine.
• Researching the families Tokar, Rubicky, Miller, Kansky, Kovach, Kovacek, Stofcik, Kavuscak, Bacho, Radvansky. Villages: Zborov, Bardejov.

Thanks for visiting!
I love reading your comments! Have you been researching your family tree? Any tips you'd like to share? Are you a Kovach or have a Kovach in your family tree. Hey, we might be related! Let me know.

History: Kovacs aka Kovach : Hungarian or Czechoslovakian was originally created on Squidoo by JaguarJulie on May 5, 2006. Highest lensrank ever achieved: #1,248 overall. Lens #23 in the quest for Giant Squid 100 Club Charter Member 2007.